Chiang Kai-shek Dies
蔣介石過世
Source: Tales from Taiwan: The Day “President Chiang” Died
From: BBC Chinese
Date: April 4, 2016Author: Weike
On April 5, 1975, Chiang Kai-shek — who had not appeared in public for a long time — passed away, reportedly at the age of 87. Taiwan then entered a period of “national mourning.” In Taiwan forty years ago, Chiang Kai-shek was known as Chiang Chung-cheng, hailed as the “savior of the nation” and “a great man of the world.” After his death, the Nationalist government — seeking to memorialize the “great achievements” of the man posthumously referred to as “the Late President Chiang Kung” — called on all Taiwanese people to donate funds for the construction of what now stands in Taipei: the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
After the lifting of martial law, and through direct presidential elections, the abolition of Taiwan Province, and changes in ruling parties, Taiwan has gradually dismantled the remnants of Chiang Kai-shek’s personality cult. Today, the most frequent visitors to Chiang’s “mausoleum” are mainland Chinese tourists, and students at schools across the island have repeatedly staged events to remove or vandalize bronze statues of “Chiang Kung” on campus.
Chiang Kai-shek (source: Wikipedia)
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External Links
- Complete Collection of President Chiang Kung’s Thoughts and Speeches (Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation)
- News Feature: The Controversies Left Behind by Chiang Kai-shek (BBC Chinese)
- Did Chiang Kai-shek’s Faults Outweigh His Merits? His Historical Status Stirs Controversy Again (FTV News)